Bohemia Church (6)

My name is Ra Mi-yeon. When I was little, my dream was to be an actress. That was largely because of my parents—they were both actors. Famous ones, spotlighted on the big screen. Growing up under them, it was only natural that I'd dream of becoming an actress too.

But even though I was born to top stars like them, I had no talent whatsoever. No matter how much I practiced acting, it never improved, and all my hard efforts yielded zero results. Fame is a scary thing. Roles came easy enough thanks to my parents' name value, but the expectations piled on—"She's the daughter of those two, after all"—turned into a crushing burden, like shackles around my neck.

What if one slip-up of mine brought arrows flying back at Dad and Mom? What if people said, "She's their daughter, and this is all she can do?" That psychological pressure tormented me even more. Dad and Mom were kind and wonderful parents; they told me not to worry so much. But a kid's heart isn't that simple.

Then one day, I finally heard the words I'd dreaded.

"What the hell? We cast her because she's the daughter of Ra Ain and Yeon Seo-jin, and she's total trash."

It was my first child role I'd supposedly earned on my own merits, without riding on my parents' fame. Or so I'd thought. Even that territory ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I'd claimed by scrimping on sleep and practicing relentlessly turned out to be just another cage built by my parents' name.

That director's gaze and words that day—they're burned into my memory. Did I really want to be an actress? Was this truly my dream? Doubts started creeping in, and I ended up locking myself away.

It was one day when I was 14. I was holed up in my room, staring blankly at the TV as usual. I'd lost my way, shut my heart to everything—wasted away to nothing.

"Over the World~ Over the World~♬"

"Huh?"

I was watching the A-Board Year-End Awards, some end-of-year program. My eyes locked onto the screen without thinking, drawn by the song spilling from the broadcast.

Iris Adler. NUSA's all-time prima donna. Genius singer-songwriter. She had all those nicknames, and there she was on screen.

New challenge. Courage not to crumble but to move forward. The attitude of challenging yourself based on that courage.

"Can I do it? Can I dream a new dream again?"

Not the path toward being an actress as the daughter of those two, but the path I truly wanted.

"I want to be a shining singer like her too."

That day, my dream solidified: I wanted to become a singer like Iris Adler.

Then misfortune struck one day. My parents died in a plane crash returning from an overseas shoot. Left alone, their fortune was snatched by relatives who claimed a kid like me couldn't manage it.

But I didn't give up. What did money matter? I just had to walk the path toward my dream.

Reality wasn't kind, though. I wanted to be a singer-songwriter like Iris, but in this country, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that job was brutal to survive in. So I pivoted to idols as a substitute—they shine bright too, and it was the kind of challenge Iris had chosen.

But the idol world was a jungle, harsher than I'd imagined. I worked my ass off, reached a level better than most, but opportunities went to those who kissed up to the higher-ups. No talent required.

In the end, I slammed into reality's wall. No money. You need cash to live.

So I shelved my idol dream temporarily, compromising with reality. While hunting for part-time gigs, I spotted an audition post for broadcasters at an MCN.

CEO Hwang Bo-jun. I'd heard the name—H Group's wastrel crown prince. But who cared? I could barely afford rice for my mouth.

I applied right away and got accepted.

"Welcome, La La La viewers! Oh? RawJawnnim! Thanks for the 10-coin donation! Random dance reaction incoming."

My broadcasts took off like wildfire. They grew bigger by the day, making me forget the idol world I'd once dreamed of. Maybe that's why I got cocky, thinking I'd made it—looking down on others, gossiping behind backs, acting like trash.

In the end, I wasn't any different from the people who'd once looked at me that way.

CEO Hwang Bo-jun got fired. No clear reason—just a brief group message.

I was chilling at home when she showed up. Just like the message said, she'd really turned into a woman. She—no, he at that point—asked to crash for one night. I snapped back prickly without thinking.

She looked like hell. I meant I might let her stay the night, but sugarcoated it awkwardly, and she just turned and left.

That was the last I saw of her.

Then opportunity knocked. Word came from a higher-up in the Bohemia Church that Iris Adler had founded. Just keep them company for a few hours, and they'd slot me into the next debut group. No way I'd pass that up—I accepted immediately and headed to Guro to play talk buddy.

But it wasn't chit-chat. It was what they call pillow business or sponsorship.

I was terrified. My body shook. But if I backed out, I'd crash again. So I squeezed my eyes shut and went along.

The moment those filthy hands groped my chest, I knew—this wasn't it.

I shoved the Bohemia Church elder away, screaming for him to stop. But it was useless. He kept coming, and I sank into despair.

Then—

The one I'd thought I'd never see again—

"Wh-who the hell are you?! Guards outside!!"

"Who am I? I'm the Hero, you pig bastard!"

She—the one I'd figured was gone for good—appeared right in front of me.

"D-do you know who I am, talking like that?!"

"Dunno about that, but I know one thing. You're a pig, an orc, or trash—one of the three."

"You little shit! Is no one out there? She's a heretic! An intruder!"

Ah, this pig bastard's yelling with his stinking breath.

"Useless. This place is a sealed room now."

"You dare threaten an elder of the Bohemia Church?!"

"Shut up already."

Huh? What the hell is that?

"Viewership?"

"L-live?!"

Live broadcast? So this whole situation's streaming live right now?

"Why the hell tell me now!"

Before chewing out HERA, I grabbed the blanket from the bed and threw it over Ra Mi-yeon. She was basically naked.

The pig bastard too, but whatever—not my problem.

As I covered her, Ra Mi-yeon stared blankly, but no time to worry about that.

"Why'd you even start a live stream?"

"Sometimes I wonder if you're AI or human."

"You shit! Talking all that crap alone?!"

The pig charged at me. First things first—shut that stinking mouth.